Second accused in Mahaicony businesswoman murder goes on trial

Nov 18, 2020 News

Kaieteur News – The second person charged for the 2016 murder of Mahaicony businesswoman, Bibi Shairoon Nesha Ali, has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Navindra Singh, called ‘Navin,’ pleaded to the indictment at the selection of a mixed 12-member jury at the Georgetown High Court yesterday. He was initially charged along with 27-year-old, Davenand Rampersaud, who pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter when he faced a judge at the High Court last year.
Rampersaud has since been sentenced to life in prison for the crime and is expected to serve at least twenty-five years in jail before being eligible for the possibility of parole. Yesterday, Singh – the second person charged in the murder – joined the proceedings via Zoom from the Lusignan Prison.
He is expected to undergo his trial before Justice Navindra Singh starting from today. His lawyer, Bernard Da Silva, was present as Senior State Counsel Tuanna Hardy – who, in association with attorney Tyra Bakker, represented the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) –read out the short facts of the case.
Following the selection of the jury, Hardy told the court that the Mahaicony businesswoman was found bound and gagged in her home on October 17, 2016, following a suspected robbery.
She said that the murder would have likely occurred between October 15 and 16, 2016 at Ali’s Lot 4, Novar, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) residence, since by the time her body was discovered it was already swollen. According to the State Prosecutor, Ali was found lying on the floor of her bedroom with her feet and hands tied with electric wire. There were several marks of violence to her face and chop wounds to her back. She said too that the back door of the woman’s house was found open and the inside ransacked, as if a robbery had occurred.
She told the Court, that they will be presented with the details as it relates to the murder when the trial resumes, today. Meanwhile, in 2016, news reports had indicated that Ali, a mother of three who resided alone at Novar, Mahaicony (ECD) was found on the floor of her bedroom by a young man, who, relatives sent to the house to make checks after receiving several calls from neighbours, who said they had not seen the businesswoman for two days.
Relatives believed that Ali was killed over the weekend, since her body was already started to decompose when it was discovered on Monday.
Relatives had reported too that a quantity of items, including cell phones and phone cards which Ali sold, were missing and no cash was found in the house.
Several weeks after the murder, Singh (a juvenile at the time) and Rampersaud were held and charged for the crime. In October of last year, Rampersaud was handed a life sentence after he opted to plead guilty to unlawfully killing Ali before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court.
During sentencing, Justice Kissoon noted that the court was cognizant of the circumstances under which Ali met her demise. According to the Judge, these sorts of offences are becoming more prevalent in society.
At the time, Rampersaud’s lawyer Keoma Griffith pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.
State Prosecutor, Abigail Gibbs had asked the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to like-minded offenders given the prevalence of the offence.

Latest News

Second accused in Mahaicony businesswoman murder goes on trial

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Thomas’ hat-trick inspires D.C Caesar Fox 10-5 victory, as Annai...

Stabroek Ballers, Sparta Boss, Bent Street...

West Indies Falter in Disheartening Series Loss...

Trophy Stall hands over trophies for Kennard...

Omari Glasgow, carrying the hopes and dreams of a...

GCF eyeing growth across other regions in 2025...

Features/Columnists

The stakes are high in Guyana’s democracy

Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas

A leader undresses in public

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Second accused in Mahaicony businesswoman murder goes on trial

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]